I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given to me under Standing Order 20 (3) (a) and the name of the Member in each case: (1) Deputy Harney — the urgent need for the commencement of Tallaght regional hospital; (2) Deputy Tom Foxe — the fact that staff from the farm development service are being sent to livestock offices throughout the country to expedite the payment of headage grants, thus leaving the applications for farm development grants unprocessed; (3) Deputy Enda Kenny — the situation regarding phase two of Castlebar Hospital, County Mayo; (4) Deputy Michael Kitt — the question of allowing medical cards as of right to the handicapped; (5) Deputy Deenihan — if the Minister for Health will make the necessary finance available to the Southern Health Board to appoint a third surgeon at Tralee General Hospital as the surgical waiting list now stands at 1,100, and is one of the highest in the country; (6) Deputy Shatter — the issues arising from the official report carried out by the Department of the Marine into the deaths of persons (details supplied) who travelled on board the Celtic Pride ferry; (7) Deputy de Valera — the proposed establishment and operation of a civil Loran C navigation system in Kilbaha, County Clare which is causing much anxiety and concern among the local residents; (8) Deputy Sheehan — when recipients of joint British and Irish old age pensions will receive an increase in their present rate of Irish old age pension to compensate them for the variation in the pound sterling against the punt over the past six months; (9) Deputy Quill — the predicament of hundreds of women who are due back payment arising from the 1986 EC Directive on Equality and to whom payment remains outstanding; (10) Deputy Dermot Ahern — last week's reported radioactive leak from Sellafield nuclear plant in Cumbria; (11) Deputy Rabbitte — the further delay in the promised start-up date for the construction of Tallaght hospital; (12) Deputy Haughey — the need for the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications to report on the operation of the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant following another leak at the plant on 11 February 1993; (13) Deputy Cox — the representations made by, or on behalf of the Irish Government, to the German Government and/or the German Bundesbank to seek assistance for the Irish currency since the outbreak of the currency crisis last September; (14) Deputy De Rossa — the proposed contract for the servicing by Team Aer Lingus of 11 civilian aircraft from Libya, especially in view of the critical jobs position in Team Aer Lingus; (15) Deputy McManus — the decision of the Eastern Health Board not to provide emergency accommodation for homeless young people over 16, the implications of this decision for the young homeless; and the need for the provision of funds and resources to allow all health boards to meet their obligations to young homeless people; (16) Deputy Gilmore — the serious leak of radioactivity from the Sellafield nuclear plant last week; the possible environmental impact in this country; and the need for the Government to expedite its efforts to secure the winding down and ultimate closure of the plant through the use of community and international law; and (17) Deputy Keogh — the leak from Sellafield and in particular the unsatisfactory system at the plant.
I have selected for discussion the matters raised by the following Deputies: Deputy Cox, Deputy Shatter and Deputy Rabbitte.